Everything Turns to Ash - OneShot Complete
by HolmesSlice
Summary: Rumpelstilskin and Hook face off. Hook's long since planned revenge finally comes to fruition. Rumpelstiltskin has to face the consequences of his actions. Be forewarned there is a character death.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Once Upon a Time is owned by ABC and respective owners. I make nothing from this story.**

**Author's Note: This is a one-shot sequel to the Price of Magic. I am going to connect Returning to a Home Never Known with this these one-shots as well. They are all in the same place and time line. It is another sad one-shot.**

**I would greatly appreciate reviews! Good or bad, rants, raves, anything really...**

**Everything Turns to Ash**

Hook smiled as he approached the heartbroken old man. Hook smile grew wider and more sinister as he could see the frailty of Rumpelstiltskin's back. He seemed much thinner and much more hollow. "As he ought to be," Hook thought to himself. All of the deal making, all the hunger for power, the magic cast, it always came with a price. The more power sought and achieved the greater the cost.

It had been a month since Rumpelstiltskin had learned of Baelfire's fate. With Neal in Storybrooke it seemed that the curse was well on its way to being broken especially with Cora dying at the hands of Emma. Who could have suspected Emma had that much raw power in her? Not only that but Regina had her magic stripped out of her. Though it seemed that the spellbook that had given Regina her magic back had gone missing. It mattered little to Hook seeing as he had his own agenda.

Hook's plan would soon come to fruition. Some three hundred odd years of allowing his anger and bitterness to fester inside him to make him the villain he was today. Another 28 years was really nothing when Hook knew that it meant it would bring him to Rumpelstiltskin. He knew that when it was all said and done, he would pay for his sins but it was well worth it. It would be fun having a good fight with the Charmings and the good people of Storybrooke. Through a good sword fight and bloodshed, what an apt way for a pirate to meet his maker. Hook could really could not have been more content on dying this way.

"Time to carry on," Hook thought as he stealthily made his way around Storybrooke. His goal may have been Rumpelstiltskin but stalking the old man gave him some interesting information. It had been a shock to see Belle again. It was even more of a shock to realize why Belle did not want to cooperate when he had come to her. To think that her unwillingness to help was not the real reason. To actually witness her falling in love with that beast, that monster... the Dark One! It reviled Hook and disgusted him. Hook had to change his plans. He would have to add yet another victim to his last.

"No matter," Hook thought, "it would not be the first nor the last." How poetic to take away Rumpelstiltskin's true love much the same his own was so viciously taken away. He could feel the blood in his veins run cold, his palms begin to sweat, his heart race and his stomach knot in agony. Hook was going to make Rumpelstiltskin pay.

Hook knew what had to be done. He had to rip Belle's heart out. It would not stop there, oh no, Hook was going to relish in this new part of his plan. He would meticulously devise this new turn of events. He had become good at predicting the actions of others. Living for over three hundred years had given him this experience. Hook guessed that after the secondary curse was broken Neal would take Rumpelstiltskin to Long Island to pay his respects to his son.

It was there that Hook would reveal himself. It was there that the truth would be said. Hook would explain how Baelfire's mother had died. How Milah had really died. It would crush Baelfire's heart. It did crush him. So much so that Baelfire did become Peter in how so many have known him. He wanted to forget. He wanted to forget his time in the enchanted forest, the ogre wars, his father and what he had become. Hook had not counted on Baelfire, no, Peter meeting Wendy. Hook could never have expected Wendy being Peter's true love. It seemed that her time in Neverland had given her the potent magic giving her the chance to find true love.

Baelfire had been everything that his father had not been. He managed to work through his pain, he dealt with head on, he was not a coward. That was definitely something Hook had to give Baelfire credit for. Baelfire had given true love a chance and not cowered from it the way Rumpelstiltskin had done with Belle. Baelfire had bravely fought in the first world war which was a sweet irony not lost on Hook. Baelfire had managed to live a good life. As much as Hook wanted to he simply could not go after Baelfire. He might have been a descendent of Rumpelstiltskin but he was also Milah's son. Hook could only be slightly happy that Milah's son was given a chance to live the happy life she had deserved. He had hoped that his allowing Baelfire to live his life would have made Milah happy. Much as going after Rumpelstiltskin would have made her even happier.

Rumpelstiltskin's face turned ashened and if it were possible to break even further then it happened. He stood in front of his son's grave and once again had to learn that he was responsible for his son's heartbreak and pain. Only a few weeks earlier did Belle learn fully of the monster she loved. Rumpelstiltskin could only give a saddened and knowing smirk and realized that it was true no one could have ever loved him. Now he had not only lost his son but his true love.

Rumpelstiltskin looked into Hook's eyes and saw the anger masking the agony. A broken and soft apology escaped his mouth where it was immediately squashed by a growl.

"Don't you dare believe for a minute that an apology is going to reprieve you of your sin, Rumpelstiltskin." Hook ground out, "And don't you even believe this is over. Trust me I still have much more pain to inflict on you, you damn monster."

Hook took out the beating, glowing heart. It pulsated a purity that was rare in any world even in the Fairytale world. The rythym and energy made Rumpelstiltskin's eyes widen, "Belle...you took her heart!"

Hook let out a hearty laugh, "She really did love you. Fought tooth and nail against me but Cora taught me on how to take a heart. I stole her heart and made her break yours. I wanted to break you the way you have broken so many of us. My real intent was to have Belle realize the real monster you were and to end your true love the way you ended mine."

A teary and sniffling Belle rounded around from a dying tree. "Rumple," Belle sniffled, "I will always love you." Rumpelstiltskin closed his eyes and let this small simple truth soothe his pain. "Aye," Rumpelstiltskin said quietly, "And I will always love you." They both stared and knew that Belle might not have forgiven or forgotten what Rumpelstiltskin had done to Milah but Belle knew that Rumpelstiltskin was a broken man who still had a bit of humanity in him. Had they the chance Belle would have made Rumpelstiltskin work to win her back but she would have given him a chance. She could never explain why she felt this way. They both knew Rumpelstiltskin did not deserve it yet all the same here she was.

The chance would never happen when Hook gave Belle's heart a painful squeeze. "Rumple!" Belle painfully called out, tears spilling out as she fell to her knees. She gave out a painful exhale as she supported herself by one arm and the other clutching her chest. Hook clenched tighter and tighter and Belle managed to painfully let out a hoarse, "I will always love you" before succumbing to the darkness. Hook grinned as cupped the ash and poured it into into a glass heart vial.

Rumpelstiltskin let out a painful and choked sob. He had been broken even more than possibly. An overwhelming sadness shook him to his very core as the payment of his being the Dark One had come to pass. Rumpelstiltskin had shattered into so many pieces that not even all the king's men could put him back together.

"It seems both our true loves have suffered the same fate," Hook grinned maniacally, "I have here a memento all of you have lost. The ashes of your true love Belle, and an amber pendant with a lock of Baelfire's hair."

Hook kneeled in front of Rumpelstiltskin, "I am not going to take away your life. I can see that you are broken beyond repair. The real revenge is seeing you live with this pain for an eternity. Each day you will remember what your actions and love of power has cost. You will always bear this pain. As it has been said, magic comes with a price. You will always live with the further knowledge that everything you touch, everything you love, everything you hold dear turns to ash."


End file.
